What to do if I have too much luggage?

Hit a snag at check-in? Here's what to do when your suitcase weighs too much
  1. Share the load. ...
  2. Add it to your hand luggage. ...
  3. Wear everything you own ? or the heaviest stuff. ...
  4. Leave the queue and buy another bag to check. ...
  5. Ask a cafe for a garbage bag. ...
  6. Cough up and pay the excess. ...
  7. Abandon some items.




If you find yourself with too much luggage in 2026, you have three primary strategies: pay the fees, ship it, or store it. First, check your airline's app to "pre-pay" for extra bags; this is almost always 20–50% cheaper than paying at the airport counter. If you are facing extreme "excess baggage" rates (common on international or low-cost flights), consider a luggage shipping service like Luggage Forward, SendMyBag, or DHL Express. These services pick up your bags at your home or hotel and deliver them directly to your destination, often for less than the airline’s "overweight" penalties, while also saving you the hassle of dragging heavy suitcases through the airport. If you simply have too much gear for a specific leg of your trip (e.g., you don't need your winter gear for a week in the tropics), look for airport luggage lockers or "Radical Storage" and "Bounce" apps, which allow you to safely store bags at local shops or hotels for a small daily fee. This "hybrid" approach allows you to travel light for portions of your journey while keeping your belongings secure.

People Also Ask

What happens if my luggage is overweight? For hold luggage, most airlines set a weight limit for single items of luggage. Usually, this is 23kg. If your hold luggage is over and you haven't paid for extra, you might be charged.

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There are exceptions; passengers might be denied boarding when the plane is simply too heavy with every one and every thing on board, but this is a last resort and not particularly common. Total weight is total weight, and the more of it there is, the more limited your options become.

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Keep reading for our top tips for packing lighter.
  1. Pack for a week (or less) and plan to do laundry.
  2. Pack around one basic color.
  3. Don't pack any more than three pairs of shoes.
  4. Use a wardrobe planner.
  5. Pack visually.
  6. Know what to roll and what to fold.
  7. Use compression cubes and bags.


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That depends if you have several kg overweight and are asking for the price per kg or if you really just only have one single kg extra. For a singe kg above the limit you most probably will not get charged, especially not on a full service airline. There is usually a tolerance in the range of 2–3kg, sometimes up to 5.

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Do airlines allow 1kg overweight? Bags weighing 50 to 70 lb (23 to 32 kg) are accepted as overweight. Bags measuring 63 to 115 in (160 to 292 cm) are accepted as oversized.

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Most airlines will allow you to check one bag and have one carry-on bag. There is normally a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds per checked bag as well as a size restriction. The most common maximum size bag allowed is 62 linear (total) inches. A common size bag for checking through is: 27 x 21 x 14.

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In short, the 3-1-1 rule is: Each liquid you bring through the TSA checkpoint must be in a 3.4-ounce or smaller container (3), all containers must be placed inside one clear quart-size plastic bag (1) and each passenger is only allowed one plastic bag (1).

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If your luggage is heavier than your luggage allowance when you check-in, you'll need to pay an excess luggage charge, as outlined below: Short-haul flights: £13 or €17 per kilogram. Mid-haul flights: £15 or €19 per kilogram.

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What if my luggage is 0.5 kg overweight? It's over the limit so assume you will be charged. There must be something in your hand luggage you can put in your pocket to get it under. Wear a coat with big pockets.

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easyJet Airlines Excess Baggage Fee EasyJet charges an excess baggage fee of $15/13,50€/£12 per 3 kg up to 32 kg for online bookings only. If you haven't booked online, extra weight is charged at the airport at $15/13,50€/£12 per kilo.

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On all flights, except to and from the United States, each passenger can purchase a checked luggage weight allowance of 20 kg, 25 kg, 30 kg, or 40 kg. It doesn't matter how many bags the total weight is split into, but no bag can be over 32 kg (70 lbs) in weight and 319 cm (126 inches) in total dimensions.

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Excess/Overweight Baggage
The excess baggage fee is currently charged at the rate of $27 (20 euros) per kg.

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What is the size of 23kg luggage bag? A suitcase of size M (50 – 80 liters) or L (80 – 100 liters) is suitable for 23 kg of luggage. Choosing the right suitcase size depends on whether you want to pack a lot of light items or a few heavy ones.

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So can you expect to find yourself on a scale before boarding your next domestic flight? Likely, no, but it isn't impossible. The U.S. does not require airlines to weigh passengers as South Korea does. However, a 2019 advisory from the FAA said airlines can weigh passengers, according to CNBC.

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Sticking a foot under a luggage scale to get bags under the limit is becoming a viral travel hack. People on TikTok say they've tried this trick and gotten away with bringing a heavy bag on board. Others say using this travel hack could endanger airline staff and one's fellow passengers.

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If your suitcase is over the limit set by your airline company, you'll need to pay an additional fee for your overweight suitcase. Another option you can do is to remove some things from your suitcase to reduce the weight. Most airlines won't accept suitcases over 100 lbs (45 kgs).

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It's a question we hear all the time, and here's what we say: It is rare for airlines to weigh your carry on or hand luggage. So long as your bag is not clearly overweight, and you're able to carry it with ease – you shouldn't have any issues with a slightly overweight bag.

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Rolling clothes will not make your bag heavier—unless you pack more because of all of the space you saved! So be careful of overpacking. Instead of rolling to save space, roll clothes so that you can downside to a carry-on bag and enjoy a bag that weighs a lot less.

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